Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-11-04
AGAINST IA1EMpERANcE,
With Enthusiasm the Rock River Con.
ference Adopts Strong Temper
ance Resolutions.
Inc Members Pledge Their Influence IN
the Cause Of Total Abstinence and
Prohibition.

Va lu0 NlcluO(llSC LDlscOnAl
Church. held at Rockford, ILL.,. the Rev
Frank M. Bristol presented the following
resolutions on temperance:
from the earliest dawn of authentic
history, lntemperance has been humanity's
greatest curse. 1t has wrougL. the blight
a ,A degradation of personal health, INTEL
lect' ana morals, the corruption of social
manners, and even the decline and ruin aft
governments. The extirpation of this
mother of crimes has been ATTEMPTED in
every age and nation, but successfully only
10 tae degree of demonstrating the fact
mat 1t is and ever has been one OF the most
Perplexlng and difficult problems with
|hlch philosophy. statesmanship, and the
s-!a OF God has had to deal. But if
history mas an unanswerable logic of its
u NV, u must convince this intelligent age
mat the curse of intemperance cannot be
lifted from this people without the final
abolition of so-called regulative measures
ana license systems, and the imperative
promotion and absolute legal suppression
OF tne traffic in alcoholic beverages. Reg
niatlve measures adopted for the suppress
sion of the drink habit and traffic are as
Old as social legislation and moral reforma-
lions, but the Christian Judgment and in.
telllgence of this day fail to discover that
tnls monstrous evil has ever been regulated
or licensed to its determination, and the
growing Christian conviction of this age
ana land is settling down upon the only
true working principle; that a wrong,
though made legal, is still wrong; that
tne Incense OF crime is crimes accessory,
evil as q substitute for an effort to suppress
1t is subversive of private and public NOR
atty, and destructive of the integrity of
social unity and political government.
therefore, with charity for all, and malice
toward none:
fesotued, l. Thatwe are convinced that
lntemperance is actually and historically
the cause of humanity's most numerous and
aggravated disorders, sorrows, and crimes:
constant menace to the social peace. and
one OF the most stubborn obstacles that
hinder the progress of Christianity and civ
ilizaton.
.. That the traffic in alcoholic beverages.
which creates, fosters. and perpetuates in
temperance, is crime against humanity, and
therefore its legal license cannot have
mora sals.ion ana support:
%. That as an enormous license fee does
not lessen the enormity of the evil licensed,
we cannot give our support to the delusion
and false notion that the drink traffic is to
be licensed out of existence by any tax short
OF that which is equivalent to absolute pro-
hibition.
a. That, loyal to the temperance princi-
pies which have been advocated and defend
cd by the Methodist Church from its origin
to the present time, and rejoicing in the
advancement of Temperance convictions,
and of prohibition legislation already
achieved, we pledge our influence as Meth
odlst minister's to the cause of total absti-
nence and of legal prohibition.
8. That we hereby express ourselves as
as IN sympathy with every movement COM
patibie with truth, patriotism and charity
which arrives at the emancipation of the
people from the drink habit and the total
legal prohibition of the drink traffic.
"6. That we heartily commend the clear,
vigorous and aggressive utterances of the
Northwestern and New York Advocates,
And believe them to be the most enlight-
ened. chaste, courteous, and wholesome
journals on the subject of temperance that
can be introduced into the houses of the
people.
~. That we regard with pleasure the sue
cessful gospel work of the Woman's Chris
tan Temperance Union and the educational
efficiency of Bands of Hope in the promo
ton of temperance knowledge and expe-
rience.
IS. That we earnestly reiterate and adopt
the recommendation of the last General
Conference, made in paragraph 554 of the
discipline, and assume the attitude of I'M
compromising opposition to the liquor
traffic; and, while we do not presume to
dictate to our people as to their political
affiliations, we do express the opinion that
they should not permit themselves to be
controlled by parties that are managed in
the interest of the liquor traffic, and it is
our hope that the General Conference of
1883 may take no retrograde steps, but
stand grandly firm by this non partisan and
uncompromising recommendation"
The resolutions were adopted amid great
enthusiasm. The third party men had
majority on the temperance committee, and
the platform is the strongeston ever passed
by the Rock River Conference.